


Filia Ex Spirituum

by Stewbacca94



Series: RWBY Reddit Ramblings [19]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Future Fic, Not Suitable/Safe For Work, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-01 21:36:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19185916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stewbacca94/pseuds/Stewbacca94
Summary: Oscar Pine, forever trapped in a bottle after the catastrophic destruction of Salem, discovers something that completely up-ends his world view. A woman appears to lead Menagerie as Queen, her appearance defying the presumed fates of two of his dead comrades.





	Filia Ex Spirituum

****

###  **Filia Ex Spirituum**

“... and on this day,” Oscar Pine announced to the world at large from the outdoors podium within Rosewood Academy, “we commemorate the sacrifice of the Four Hunters thirty years ago. They destroyed the Grimm at the cost of their own lives, dying as the sun rose on Remnant once more in the Badlands. May the world never forget the strong Yang Xiao Long, the just Blake Belladonna, the fierce Weiss Schnee, and the pure Ruby Rose.” Oscar bowed his head, wiping a tear from his eyes, then looked back up with a melancholic expression. “In the rising of the sun, upon the remains of the world, we will remember them.”

“We will remember them,” the crowd answered back.

Oscar lay a wreath of his own making at the foot of the statue behind him. It was made wholly of red roses, the petals shuddering bitterly in the autumn breeze that cast a pall on the former location of Beacon Academy.

At Nightshade Academy, in the northern part of Vacuo, Blake Belladonna now stood near the main entrance with Gambol Shroud in both hands, ready to cleave. A greying Velvet Scarlatina teared up as she lay a wreath of nightshade at the foot of the tower, remembering the night Blake saved her life as Vacuo was attacked.

Snowfield Academy, which stood amidst the floating palisade of Atlas, had posted Weiss Schnee to overlook a waterfall which fell off the edge of the city, with Myrtenaster bolt upright in her left hand. Her brother Whitley, forever regretful of his treatment of her, lay a garland of white lilies at his sister's feet, while General Winter Schnee cried uncontrollably in the background.

Atop Mount Mistral's summit, Sundragon Academy's courtyard was Yang Xiao Long's final resting place; she stood in a boxing stance with Ember Celica cocked and ready. Taiyang Xiao Long and Raven Branwen, now bonded by the death of their daughter, placed a wreath of yellow chrysanthemums between Yang's feet.

And behind Oscar Pine, Ruby Rose stood with Crescent Rose held behind her back, ready to surge forward with her speed Semblance. Of all the men and women who died to save the world from Salem's grasp, the death of his fiance hurt him the most.

Turning back to the crowd, Oscar completed his speech.

“The Four Hunters will watch eternally over us. They were the shields that guarded the kingdoms of Remnant, and the price they paid is a debt  _none_  of us can repay. May the generations that follow us pay heed to their sacrifice and live their lives in gratitude for it.”

The applause had barely begun before Oscar jumped off the podium, walking away towards the dean's quarters with tears freely flowing down his face. He remained silent until the door was locked behind him, at which point he sobbed and grabbed the flask Qrow had left him in his will.

* * *

As he took the first swig of ruby port that resided within, Oscar couldn't help but ruminate on the deaths that haunted his every step.

Qrow had died when Atlas was attacked, taking both Arthur Watts and Tyrian Callows with him in a blaze of drunken glory. Ruby hadn't stopped crying, and Oscar soothed her as they moved to Vacuo with two Relics in tow.

When Hazel Rainart and Cinder Fall chased the heroes as they rode a train to the northwestern edge of Sanus from Vacuo, Ren and Nora sacrificed themselves to destroy the pair of villains, with local huntsmen dying with them as the rest of the heroes crossed the sea to Drakemouth Bay, the closest natural harbour to Salem's castle.

And when team RWBY ventured into the Badlands with all four Relics in hand, it fell to Jaune Arc, Ilia Amitola, Sun Wukong and his team to guard the base that General Ironwood had dropped in for them. As for Oscar himself, he used Ozpin's memories to guide the Four Hunters to the castle, even providing them a map of the castle he'd sketched on the boat. Oscar waited with bated breath until the castle exploded. Ozpin, finally freed of his curse, had faded away from Oscar's mind immediately after Salem's demise, leaving the young man a timid, nervous wreck as he searched frantically amongst the rubble for his friends.

What was left of Ruby and her team-mates were marked with four cairns on Drakemouth Bay in the Badlands, where they had collapsed after Salem's explosive death destroyed the castle they were fighting in, and had permanently destroyed their Auras. Blake had gone missing in the rubble of the castle, and by the time Oscar had driven them to the bay, the rest of the team had lost so much blood that even the doctors General Ironwood posted couldn't fix them, let alone their normal healer. Ilia had fallen holding the line against the slew of Grimm, while Sun and his team were wounded.

Jaune, haunted by his Semblance failing to save his last remaining friends, was the one who buried what was left of them with Oscar. Asides from the team's weapons and Relics (which Oscar later placed within their respective Vaults), the only thing left of Blake was her bow, and Jaune simply interred the former in the earth with the corpses of the others. From the stones of the castle, Jaune and Oscar found four massive bricks – each different colours from different parts of the castle – and placed them atop his friends. Their names and deeds were hewn into the rocks with Jaune's sword, and Oscar conducted their funeral rites. However, as the remaining Huntsmen departed the Badlands with heavy hearts, Jaune hung himself in his cabin, and Sun jumped off the ship as it approached the end of Drakemouth Bay – his body was never recovered.

* * *

By this point in his waking nightmare, Oscar had run out of booze in his flask. He stepped towards the fridge on his right when a scroll call came through. Oscar noted that it was Dr. Oobleck calling him, and reluctantly answered.

“What's up, Doctor?”

“There's something extremely important unfolding on the VNN. Quickly, turn it on!”

Oscar knew  _that_  cadence; Oobleck talking slowly was a dead giveaway that  _something_  was afoot. Oscar fumbled with the remote control, getting the television fired up on the second try.

“... while the Queen's origins and intentions are unknown, rumours are circulating that White Fang sympathisers are behind Menagerie's declaration as a kingdom, and are in fact using Queen Xanthe as a puppet ruler for the fledgling kingdom. More details are sure to follow. Back to you, Cyril.”

Oscar was in silent shock at this revelation. Not because of the content – Menagerie had been debating this course of action for years – but because of the image of Queen Xanthe he saw for a brief instant before the camera cut to Lisa Lavender's features.

She was a black-haired, tall young woman with golden eyes and a black monkey tail.

“Thanks Doctor,” he spoke eventually. “Keep me posted about this development, and find out what you can about the Queen. I have a feeling we'll meet her soon enough.”

* * *

**A/N: The title translates to "Daughter of the Spirits", for the record.**

**I will say that Sun and Blake died while raising Xanthe in the Badlands. She built herself a boat and eventually sailed to Menagerie, eventually becoming chieftain and then Queen. In time, I may write those plot points out for another chapter, but we'll see.**


End file.
